Musings on a life singing, teaching and being a creature of the theatre!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Don't Be Caught Ass Backwards!

Happy Wednesday!

My musings this week...

The "American Idol" mentality of "I can audition cause I want to" has bled into our business more than we may want to admit and acknowledge. I see so many wannabe singers doing it ass backwards.

What do I mean?

TRUE singing actors have craft. They have technique. They are able to tell a story, create an authenticity on an instrument that can DO what is necessary to embrace style and move beyond technique.

Why oh why are you doing it ass backwards?!

Know the difference between wanting and DOING it. Know the difference between a voice TEACHER and a voice COACH and a PERFORMANCE coach.

Know what order these levels of acumen happen and do it correctly. A voice coach and a performance coach cannot teach you to use your instrument effectively if it is not built on a solid foundation of athletic physicality of technical behavior.

Every level of performance has a technical aspect - including the coaching of musical style, language, musicianship, acting and dramatic intention. These technical aspects can be embodied only when the actual VOCAL INSTRUMENT has enough vocabulary - physically, intellectually, psychically - to fully engage what your coaches are asking OF you.

Just because you think you want to perform, doesn't mean you start with performing.

We don't want to see your technique - so develop it to the point that you can rely on it in order to create the performance!

Dare yourself to know what you actually NEED. Dare yourself to recognize what you need NOW. How can you take a performance class if you can't breathe yet? If you can't sing in tune? If your voice - your actual INSTRUMENT doesn't know how to work at optimum, if you don't have the knowledge and vocabulary to develop that technical physicality, how can you then take a song or an audition cut to the next level of artistic integrity? And how are you going to manage to maintain an 8 show work week? How will you get through?

Technical understanding, development and depth is ONGOING. Every artist who truly creates on all levels - STUDIES. Every artist develops more craft on every level throughout their careers. It doesn't stop. You are never "finished" - otherwise what are you working for?

Just cause you want it, doesn't make it so. Just because you go to a performance coach doesn't mean you are ready to be there. Just because you take your music to a coach doesn't mean you are able to realize what they are asking of you. Who do you study voice with? THAT is the first question. If you don't have an answer, you better get one. That technical behavior of instrument is the basis of all the musical and dramatic and artistic development you will want to pursue.

Technique is the path to artistic freedom. When you have that technical behavior - you can become conscious of none.

Don't be caught going ass backwards! It doesn't serve you. It doesn't serve the craft you say you respect. All it will do is leave you standing there suddenly looking around wondering why you are there by yourself making excuses and wondering why you haven't moved.

SMARTEN UP! Get that vocal technique IN GEAR! Do you need your coaches? Yes! But you cannot develop what they can offer you if you don't have a technical balance FIRST and ONGOING.

Liken it to deciding to run a marathon: If someone said "I think I will run a marathon", how would you answer? "So how are you training for it?" If they answered "oh I think if I just stretch for a few days, I think I can do it" - you would look at them like they had lost their minds and move away quietly and thoroughly!!

1 comment:

It is always a little heartbreaking to hear singers who haven't quite got the technique to manage their voices yet--and don't even know what it is they are missing because they haven't studied enough. The TV competition shows are always a bit sad that way--I sometimes think they ought to have consolation prizes of a year of singing lessons!

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